ESPN2 Airs "Defy the Odds", chronicling a ClassACT Initiative

November 20, 2018 12:47 PM |
Anonymous

ESPN2's Defy the Odds tells the story of the Sports Analytics Club formed by inner city youth at Edmondson-Westside High School in Baltimore and their data analytics research project to get alum Marvin Webster, "The Eraser," elected into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Sports Analytics Club Program concept, the brainchild of HR73 classmate Bobby Clayton, is designed to address the underrepresentation of African American and Latinx young men and women in STEM advanced studies and STEM relevant careers. Bobby has enlisted Professor Ben ShieldsofMIT Sloan School, Faculty Advisor to the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, as his lead partner. While underrepresented students remain a priority, the initial concept has been broadened to embrace youth, regardless of ethnic, racial, or socioeconomic status. In the 2018-19 academic year, the Program has established Sports Analytics Clubs at 14 high schools across the nation, partnering with18 major universities. A University Advisor is selected for each Club to collaborate with the STEM Teacher Advisor, Professor Shields and SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) from the professional sports teams to design the actionable sports analytics research projects to be completed by the Club members.

The University Advisor partnerships include such major universities as American, Howard, Tufts,Morgan State, George Washington, Tulane, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Akron, University of New Orleans,Xavier University of Louisiana, Southern and Tuskegee.

ClassACT has gone to bat for this one. Over two dozen HR73 classmates across the country have been helping out with planning, networking, and business development.

If you are interested in helping out with this ClassACT initiative and would like to learn more, send us a note.